BMW X5 Reclaims Top Spot As Most Stolen And Recovered Vehicle

Prestigious brands most frequently targetedThe BMW X5 was the vehicle most often stolen, then recovered, throughout the United Kingdom in 2016. TRACKER – a company that produces systems that enable stolen vehicles to be traced – confirmed that this large, prestigious, sports-utility model also claimed top spot in 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 – and second in 2015.
The Top 10 included several of its siblings, too. The BMW M3 is a high performance saloon/coupé, for example. It came third having fallen out of the list the previous year. The BMW 3 Series (saloon and estate) came sixth, and the 5 Series tenth (saloon and estate). 
Top 10 most stolen and recovered cars in UKThe Top 10 is revealed in its entirety, for 2016 and 2015.
Position MostStolen/RecoveredIn2016 
1 BMW X5Range 
2 Range Rover 
3 BMW M3Range 
4 Mercedes c class
5 Mercedes E Class
6 BMW 3 Series
7 Range Rover Autobiography
8 Range Rover Vogue
9 Land Rover DefenderRange 
10 BMW 5 Series

Most Stolen/Recovered In 2015
1 Rover Sport
2 SportBMW X5
3 Rover Vogue
4 Mercedes C220
5 BMW 3 Series
6 Mercedes C63
7 BMW 5 Series
8 Audi RS4
9 Rover Biography
10Audi Q7The Top 10 for 2016 exclusively included premium brands. All entries come via BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover and Land Rover. Sports-utility class vehicles were the most prolifically featured rather than (say) sports cars, executive saloons or family estates. 
The Land Rover Defender was a particularly noteworthy entry, in ninth. Despite its long production run, it only entered the Top 10 once production ceased. As many premium vehicles are stolen to order, it is possible criminals took their last chance to acquire new examples of this fashionable, prestigious, utilitarian machine.

Most expensive recovered vehicles
A Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG was the most expensive vehicle recovered throughout 2016, at £120,000. It was followed by a Range Rover Autobiography and Porsche 993; both worth £100,000. The average value, however, was £16,436 compared to £19,000 during 2015 (-£2,564). 27% of the recovered vehicles were worth less than £5,000.

Furthermore:

Whereas the Top 10 exclusively included prestigious vehicles popular, but less prestigious, alternatives from brands such as Vauxhall and Volkswagen were increasingly targeted in 2016
1 in 3 vehicles were stolen via the owner’s key
A Volkswagen Golf worth £400 was the lowest value recovered vehicle
The total value of the recovered vehicles was £11.5 million
In 2016, 86 vehicles not fitted with a tracking system were recovered alongside their better-equipped counterparts

article is care of www.motoring.co.uk and the original article can be found here